Northallerton: Mini Explorers Open day 7th Nov

Are you looking for a nursery where your little one can enjoy the magic of childhood, surrounded by nature, animals and endless opportunities to explore? 

Then we'd love to welcome you to Mini Explorers Farm School Nursery!

Set within the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, our nursery offers something a little different from the traditional nursery experience.

From woodland adventures and muddy wellies to caring for our farm animals, growing our own produce and exploring the great outdoors, every day brings something new for our Mini Explorers to discover. 

Saturday 7th November 2026
10am – 12 noon
Mini Explorers Nursery, Crabtree Hall, DL7 9LN

Whether you're considering nursery for the very first time or looking for somewhere new for your little one, our Open Day is the perfect opportunity to come and see what makes Mini Explorers so special.

Church Crookham: Army Welfare Service Give Us a Hand

 

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Leuchars: Bright Horizons Day Care Centre

click on image to enlarge

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

London: Home Start London

Home Start are there for parents when they need it the most because childhood can’t wait

All parents struggle at one time or another and Home-Start is ready to support London families through their toughest times.

Home-Start trains and supports volunteers to work alongside parents in their own home giving compassionate and confidential support, tailored to each family. Home-Start London is a consortium of 12 local Home-Starts operating across 24 London boroughs. 

Click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

MOD ‘UK Nursery Authority’ childcare support: How to register and claim

From 1 September 2026, eligible working Service families who live in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can get help with early years childcare costs.

If you would get 'free' (Government funded) childcare hours if based in England, Defence’s UK Nursery Authority (UKNA) childcare scheme will now help cover the difference in cost where you live.

It’s important to understand that UKNA does not give you a childcare space. It pays back money to eligible families who have already paid for early years childcare.

Who is eligible for UKNA

You may register for UKNA, if all the following apply:

• You are a Regular or Full-Time Reserve (Full Commitment) member of the Service
• Your family lives in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
• Both parents (or the sole parent in a single-parent family) earn at least the same as 16 hours a week at the UK National Minimum or Living Wage
• Neither parent (or the sole parent) earns more than £100,000 adjusted net income a year
• Your child is recorded and verified on JPA
• Your child is aged 9 months to 3 years old, in Scotland and Wales ​
• Your child is aged 9 months to 4 years old, in Northern Ireland
• You have an active Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account for your child: ‘active’ means you confirm your details every three months and get the top-up from HMRC when you add money
• Your childcare provider accepts TFC payments – all UKNA claims must first be paid through your child's TFC account
• Your child lives with you at least half the time, unless you're separated for Service reasons

How to register and claim

Hampshire: Fostering Services

Every share matters. By working together, we can inspire more families to consider fostering and give more children the chance to thrive in a loving home. 

You can also find more information about fostering in Hampshire here:

https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/fostering

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Bovington: Nursery school for ages 3 months to pre-school

Open all year apart from the Christmas holidays and the last week of the summer holidays.

Timings:
Monday - Thursday 08.00 – 17.00 
Friday 08.00 – 15.00

Bovington Nursery is located at

Linsay Road  (near to the Tank Museum) BH20 6JG

Tel 01929 405044

E-Mail office@bovingtonnursery.co.uk

Click link HERE for website 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Hampshire: Hampshire County Council Childcare Choices

 

Changes to childcare support mean you might now be eligible for more help than ever before. Support from Childcare Choices can give your child a great start while giving you work choices, helping you make the juggle of family life a little easier. 

Click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Hampshire: Home Start support for military families

 

Home Start volunteers help families with children age 0-11 years deal with the challenges they face. They support parents (including military families) to learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children.

Click on the QR code to access further information of other areas of support that Home Start can help with.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Church Crookham: Army Welfare Service Stay & Play Group at Quetta Park, Community Hall, Church Crookham, Every Thursday 1000hrs - 1130hrs starts 15th January 2026

AWS works in collaboration with local authorities to deliver partnership workshops that support families in health and learning development. These sessions run during term time and are inclusive and open to all families in the community.

 Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Wraparound Childcare (WAC) - Armed Forces Personnel Portal Beta Testing

As part of the continued development of the Armed Forces Personnel Portal (AFPP), Defence are preparing to commence the next phase of Beta testing for the Wraparound Childcare (WAC) service. They are seeking current or recent WAC users who may be interested in supporting this important activity. User participation is essential to ensuring the service meets the needs of Service Personnel and their families and has been tested by representative users prior to wider release.

Expression of Interest Required

Any Service personnel who would like to be considered for participation in the Beta testing programme, please complete the Expression of Interest survey using the link below:

Expression of Interest Survey Link

Survey Deadline - The Expression of Interest survey will close at 2359hrs on Fri 23 Oct 26.

Only individuals who complete the survey by this deadline will be considered for participation in the Beta testing programme.

The Beta testing programme is currently planned to commence from Mon 2 Nov 26 and may be conducted across multiple iterative testing periods. This approach will enable the AFPP team to gather user feedback, implement improvements and, where required, re-test enhancements before wider release.

Vale of Glamorgan: Vale Family Compass - Have your say on childcare in the Vale

 

Vale Family Compass - Have your say on childcare in the Vale

We want to hear from parents and carers about their experiences of childcare.

• Can you access the childcare you need?
• What’s important to you when choosing childcare?
• What makes childcare difficult to access?
• What could be better?

Your feedback will help us understand what childcare is like for families across the Vale and identify where there are gaps, challenges or opportunities to improve.

Complete the survey here

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub

Surrey: become a registered childminder

Are you considering becoming a registered childminder and would like to find out more?

A registered childminder is a person who looks after one or more children for more than a total of two hours a day in their own home. They are registered and inspected by Ofsted. 

Surrey County Council are committed to supporting childminders to provide high quality childcare and early years education. Our 'Becoming a Registered Childminder' (BaRC) training is made up of two face-to-face full day sessions, delivered over two consecutive weeks, for those interested in joining the childminding profession. 

The training covers the legislation and implications of caring for other people's children in a home environment to ensure that children are safe, well cared for and take part in activities that contribute to their learning and development. 

The training also details your statutory duties as set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Click HERE for more information

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Chatham: Home Start Themed Stay & Plays Lampard Centre Mondays 0930hrs -1200hrs Thursdays 1000hrs - 1130hrs

 

 Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Maidstone: Kent Family Hub Could your story help another parent?

 

Now recruiting parents and carers of children aged 0 to 5 to join a co-design group for a new podcast series exploring the joys and challenges of early parenthood.

Click HERE for further information

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Aldershot: Stay and Play Group Maurice Toye House, Every Tuesday from 1000hrs - 1130hrs

 

Information Provided by South East HIVE Hub

Church Crookham: Army Welfare Service - Stay & Play Group Quetta Park Community Hall Every Thursday 1000hrs - 1130hrs

 

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Hampshire: HCC Fostering services

Visit the Hampshire County Council website to find out more about how you can start your fostering journey.

Click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Oxfordshire: Fostering with Oxfordshire County Council

Fostering with Oxfordshire County Council and the difference it makes. 

It might be early days and you're just curious, you may have questions that you would like answering or have been thinking about fostering for a while - take a look at the website for more information. 

Click HERE for more information. 

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Shorncliffe: Army Welfare Service SANO NANEE Home Start Shorncliffe Community Centre Parent & Toddler Group Every Monday from 1000 - 1130hrs

 

Information Provided by South East HIVE Hub